Republicans Name For Probe In Removing Of Accomplice Statues

Republican lawmakers in Tennessee referred to as for an investigation Thursday after Memphis officers bought a pair of parks in an alleged bid to take away two controversial accomplice statues from the properties.

The Memphis Metropolis Council on Wednesday unanimously accredited the sale of two public parks to nonprofit Memphis Greenspace for $1,000 a chunk, the Tennessean reported.

The transfer permits them to bypass a legislation that requires metropolis officers get approval from the state Historic Fee ought to they need to take away the statues. Now that the memorials — of Accomplice President Jefferson Davis and KKK chief Nathan Bedford Forrest — are not on public property, the Metropolis of Memphis not has to ask permission.

Shortly after the sale, crews labored via the night time Wednesday to take down the controversial memorials, in keeping with the newspaper.

Home Majority Chief Glen Casada and Home Republican caucus chairman Ryan Williams in a press release to the Tennessean mentioned they plan to right away work with Home Speaker Beth Harwell, Lawyer Basic Herbert Slatery and the state comptroller’s workplace to analyze the problem and “suggest motion to the complete physique of the legislature.”

Casada and Williams additionally famous the Tennessee Historic Fee has beforehand denied the town’s software to take away the statues.

“We’re ruled by a rule of legislation right here in Tennessee and these actions are a transparent infringement of this precept and set a harmful precedent for our state,” the assertion reads.

“We look ahead to starting this investigation and addressing this essential constitutional concern as we put together for the 2018 legislative session in Nashville.”

Memphis is barely the most recent metropolis to climate controversy surrounding its Accomplice statues.

The removing of 4 monuments in New Orleans earlier this yr sparked backlash and protests whereas Baltimore and Orlando additionally took steps to take down their very own statues in wake of the lethal Unite the Proper Rally in Charlottesville.

1000’s of white nationalists and neo-Nazis descended on the Virginia metropolis in August to protest the removing of a Statue of Accomplice Basic Robert E. Lee from a public park. Heather Heyer was killed when a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi drove via a crowd of individuals protesting messages of violence and hate.